My First Guest Artist, and a Give-away!

I'm so excited to be welcoming my first ever guest artist on my blog today! Co-incidentally, she and I share very similar first names. In fact, what first connected us was when one of the craft magazines we both design for accidentally got our checks mixed up. How is that for happy accidents? You will love her beautiful creations. There is a give-away, too, so be sure to follow the instructions to double your chances of winning.

Fellow blog readers, I would like to welcome Melony Bradley as my first guest blogger.
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Tell us about yourself and who you design for.

On the professional side, I have been designing full time since 2004. On the personal side, I am newly single. I recently moved from the Memphis, TN area to the South Georgia area. Getting use to the mild seasonal weather is hard! But my family is here and they have been super supportive of my recent changes. I am also excited to be setting up a large studio here, however, so that is more silver lining. I primarily submit and write for print publications such as Stampington Pubs (Green Craft, Sommerset Life and Altered Couture), Crafts n Things and Create and Decorate to name a few. I had my first project published in Cloth Paper Scissors Gifts this year (excited!). I also work on a number of levels with Jacquard Products, a manufacturer of high quality paints, dyes and inks (and a lot of other cool stuff).



How did you get started in your creative journey.

In 1991, I sent a pair of halloween confetti earrings to the then-editor, Julie Stephani. She accepted them and I was stunned! I had a few other projects accepted but did not really know how to make the transition from the corporate world to the design world. I worked in marketing for about 20 more years. The experience the business work gave me was an invaluble part of my journey, which I am still on. After I was laid off from my corporate marketing job, I decided to take the plunge and combine my two loves in life- marketing and crafting. The first two years were spent mainly marketing myself, getting to know the creative industry and how I fit in. The next two years took off for me.



What advice would you give to artists that are trying to find their own style?

Experiment with a number of different styles until you find what seems to come easy to you. Don't give up. When finishing a piece, my test is "do I want to keep this?" If I know the answer is yes, then I know I have designed true to myself and style.




Another thing I do is design according to MY current decor style, fashion style, etc. If it doesn't fit, it was probably forced and that will show in your design work. If I have a vintage style decor theme, why would I be making a pillow in pink and orange? Design with your heart!

(Photos Courtesy of Melony Bradley)

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Thank you Melony! Melony has graciously offered a fun giveaway for my blog readers - a Lumiere Exciter Pack by Jacquard Products! The Lumiere Mini Exciter Pack contains eight 1/2oz bottles of Lumiere, a lustrous metallic paint that can be used on fabric, leather, paper and wood. Pack includes: Pearl Turquoise, Pearl White, Metallic Bronze, Halo Violet-Gold, Metallic Olive, Halo Pink-Gold, Pewter and Metallic Gold.



In order to have your name in the drawing, leave a comment below telling us which one of Melony's creations would you most likely want to create. And if you would like a second opportunity to be entered in the drawing, go to Melanie Douthit Art Studio's Facebook Page
, "Like" it if you haven't already, then look for the Lumiere Exciter Pack giveaway post and leave a comment there. One for one more chance at winning, go to Jacquard Products Facebook Page, "Like" it and leave a comment that says "Referred by Melanie Douthit Art Studio". Three ways to get your name in the drawing. You have until next Friday, November 11. I will be picking a winner after 8am central time and announcing on my blog and on facebook.

**note, if you have trouble leaving a comment on this post, please try another browser. I've also noticed that if you select "preview" , the comment goes through easier.**

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your weekend!